Different Outlook
by Andrigno
Summary: New Gettysburg's ending changed the face of the Sector forever, Kerrigan to the Zerg, Raynor as a solitary Freedom Fighter and Mengsk as the Emperor But what if Raynor got to her faster than the Zerg, well that scenario is explained here Rated M for Language/War/Standard Zerg rushes
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft or any of their related products, characters or plots, they are all own by Blizzard Activision**

 **Enjoy and as always R &R**

 **Chapter 1: Close, but not Yet.**

 **Battlecruiser** _**Hyperion**_ , **Tarsonis Orbit above New Gettysburg.**

The battle raged around the retreating cruiser as Adam Greyson sat at the controls of his dropship, he sighed, simply glad to be above the chaos, but then he heard a voice on the comms link that made his blood turn to ice in his veins.

 _You've got to be kidding me, Kerrigan is still down there?!_ He thought instinctively reaching to wrap his hands around the controls of the ship, orders or not, to hell with Mengsk.

 _That backstabbing bastard! We're not pawns in a chess game._ His inner voice was driving him forward onto a path he wasn't sure he could follow. He'd never gone against orders before, but had never witnessed something so horrific. Training didn't prepare you to watch your friends get slaughtered by a Zerg horde, nothing will.

The whine of the engines powering up simply told him he was doing the right thing. Before he had the chance to go solo on a daring rescue mission, however a voice from behind him commanded.

"Hey, if you want to prove your worth to my unit now is the time, come on ,Kid." Captain James "Jim" Raynor says while clad in his modified CMC 300 armor alongside three other Marines with the emblem on the Rangers on their shoulders as they entered on the shuttle.

"Now go, go ,go"

Simply nodding to follow what was now seeming an authorized rescue mission ,he continues to power up the engines and tries to take off, and suddenly the doors of the hangar began to close off

"Go faster, Mengsk seems to have prepared for me to stay here, closing the door" Raynor warns to the rather young pilot on the cockpit ,Greyson had to agree with him, as he opened a channel to the bridge of the Hyperion.

"Mengsk you will not get away with this." He said rather bluntly, hoping that at least someone up there actually cared for their team on the ground,

"Kid, you got the right thing to say, but please don't be that corny" Raynor jokes with him to take a bit of pressure off as the other marines began to laugh with their captain

"Now go Sarah's location following her demand for evac"

Greyson simply nodded, not in the mood to joke back with his commanding officer, as he set the dropship in motion, with a thrust into the engines closing in the near closed door making it out close, sending it hurling down into the atmosphere, when the ground became visible, all he could see was the charred remains of the city, and an endless wave of Zerg closing in every place

 _Talk about a baptism of, Zerg._ Greyson's inner voice quipped as he neared Kerrigan's last known location, was she even still alive? That was a thought he couldn't stomach. Someone of her skill, grace and beauty couldn't- _You god damn idiot, Greyson. This isn't the time to think like that, focus on actually helping Sarah and not just dreaming about it, like if you were a stupid kid with a crush!_

Pushing those thoughts away, he simply focused on getting the team close enough to reach her, scanning the last known location of her call until he caught a glimpse of Kerrigan herself and of the hundreds of Zerg that is approaching.

"Found Sarah, if you're going to get her out, now is the time!" He said opening the boarding ramp, allowing Raynor's team to make the jump.

"Go on, people , fire hell on the Zerg!" Raynor orders to his team that start to fire their rifles towards the aliens killing Zerglings and Hydralisks by the dozens.

Sarah Kerrigan was hoping to die right here with a bang ,hundreds of Zerg closing in her position, her rifle without ammunition, while suddenly several Zerg die over fire of from rifles that comes behind her as she watches three marines with the Rangers emblem on their shoulders as her shoulders sag with relief watching Raynor in front of them.

"Jim, Jim, you can't resist to play the Knight in shining armor, do you?" Kerrigan teases him with a tight tense tone of voice that contrast with her message

"You know me Darlin', when my girl is in trouble ,i jump to the rescue" Raynor's voice module speaks to her while the Marines keep shooting the approaching Zerg.

"Now ..we should leave, because if we not ,the Zerg will have six corpses instead of one"

"Got it ,Jim ..ughhhh!" Kerrigan's last phrase is interrupted for a Hydralisk sneak on them as one of its scythes slashed through her suit and draw blood from her back as Raynor watches the scenario in slow motion and grabs the Ghost in pain and ran to the shuttle and orders the only now remaining Marine to cover their back and the mentioned Hydralisk retreats as well.

Turning back to see Raynor and Kerrigan had made it onboard brought some relief to Adam Greyson's fraying nerves, but reflecting on those feelings would have to wait as he guided the dropship up into the air, dodging the attacks of the ever relentless Horde, while Raynor places Kerrigan is the medstation of the dropship to start treating the large cuts on her back while Kerrigan groans.

"Really Jim, you had to pick the only pilot in the fleet with a crush on me, well i guess that would make his job more focused?"

Adam all the all way back on the cockpit start to blush heavily but keeps his mind on the take off from the hot bed of the Zerg while Raynor says

"He does, odd he already was powering up the dropship when i got to the hangar?"

Upon hearing this over the Comms, Adam replied "I've never disobeyed an order before, but I would for you, Kerrigan. Read my mind later! Now isn't the time for games!"

He said attempting to hide behind a facade of mere words, knowing that she could sense his every thought being a telepath, however rendered him mute right after he said it. _What is wrong with you?_ Came that inner voice again.

"I can focus in Mengsk's betrayal on me or in the searing pain on my back, do you want that, or i can focus in your mind again!" Kerrigan's voice appears strong from the medstation, while Raynor chuckles at the discussion

Adam blushes once again and tries to distract himself for the discussion as he notices a beeping light on the comn "Captain, a comn alarm ,do we listen to it?"

Raynor thinks about it and nods towards the pilot "Alright, but if it Mengsk cut him off at the first second"

Adam nods and presses the common as a garbled message is shown through the common system of the dropship

"Wrangl..Agen… M…. Kelerchian from the Ghost ..gram , i ..have target X41822N ..requ...evacuation"

Hearing the second evac, Adam checks its out ,he ask formally "Captain, Lieutenant ,this is a Confederate request, shall we answer it?"

Raynor answers him after Kerrigan whispered something on his ear while treating her "No matter the loyalties ,we don't leave people to the Zerg , Pilot, besides Sarah has a particular feeling about this target"

The fact that Kerrigan was thinking that boosted Greyson's confidence, but it also made him say "What's that supposed to mean? I don't understand telepaths"

"Kid, don't try it, only Telepaths understand telepaths and go" Raynor orders him before dodging a hit from Kerrigan after the comment.

"Save it, you two. You want me to fly us to that Evac, I will but what's the catch? You're both combat ineffective back there."

"Just what you are thinking , Adam, time to go out and prove that you can do it without the ship" Kerrigan answers him while their flying towards the call. The sudden realisation of what she meant dawned on him, as his inner voice rang out within his head. _Now's your chance to show Sarah you've got what it takes. You want revenge for what the Zerg did to her? It's time to go mess with them!_

"...Yes revenge is nice, but don't forget your objective ,get them fast and out, we come here to answer of evac , not killing Zerg"

"I know I will focus on that"

"And do not focus on your crush!" Kerrigan's loud voice interrupts him as him approaches to the evac point

"Ahh..Darlin' ,we sorely need to teach you social skills" Raynor remarks as his girl uses her usual bluntness with the young pilot.

Nearing the zone, Greyson hastily set the ship to land on autopilot, as he snatched the combat suit from behind his chair, throwing it on as he made a dash for the exit. Knowing his sidearms would be next to useless against the sheer number of enemies he was about to face, he equipped himself with a spare rifle and unlocked the hatch.

Within seconds a Hydralisk rose up in front of him. Rage filled the young pilot as he'd seen what they could do, the fact that Sarah had been hurt by one only made him more determined to take it down as he fired a burst before diving into a roll, catching the hulking beast with it's guard down, when he came up he was underneath the creature, unable to get an accurate shot with his rifle, forcing him to opt for one of his handguns, as he whipped it up, firing at point blank range to its brains blowing them up with the explosive round prepared as he moves on to seek the people to evac

He could see a shield bubbling in the near vicinity as he spotted who he assumed to be Kelerchian, alongside a teenage girl. They were on the verge of being surrounded, but the shield still holding on provided Greyson with a glimmer of hope that he'd be able to help them, as he darted through, blowing another Hydralisk's brain out in the process.

"You called for an Evac, I'm the guy who's getting you out of this mess, are you two hurt at all?" He asked, addressing no one in particular, as he continued to hold off the incoming Swarm

"Agent Kelerchian, Wrangler extraordinaire, we need evac soon, no matter the course, my mission is to get this girl off planet now" The Confederate Wrangler said with his gruff voice looking grim in the outlook of the situation

Greyson nodded as the shield began to fail, he knew that they couldn't stay where they were much longer.

"I'll see to it, but that raises a question, my team has been betrayed and left for dead, where the hell do we go from here?" He wondered, pausing to catch his breath, before his heart sank at the sight of the shield faded completely.

"Time to go!" He said turning to run back in the direction of the dropship, his two accomplices in tow, engaging what enemies they could despite their slowly draining strength and guns that were running dry.

"Captain, I've found who sent the message, headed back to you now, do me a favour and get the ship ready, it's going to be close, but I think we can make it."

He informed above the sound of the battle around them, not daring to look back as the chaos threatened to engulf the retreating trio. _That's one for the Terrans and for you Kerrigan. Those bastards will think twice before trying this again._ He thought feeling somewhat happier than he had been several minutes ago.

The welcoming sight of his ship and Raynor at the boarding ramp spurred him on, they made it inside as he unleashed a volley of spikes from one of the mounted guns, shredding a Zergling swarm which until that point had practically been clipping the team's heels.

"Kid, fire up the engines, we're done here!" Raynor commanded, as he gave him a slight smile of approval, leaving Greyson to carry out the order. The dropship shuddered as he nearly flung himself into his chair, taking the controls before he'd even sat down, his breathing panicked and his heart racing.

Raynor opens a restricted open channel to the Rangers "Rangers, Mengsk finally got mad with power, every one go the meeting point with all our resources and refugees in the Battlecruiser _Thunder Child_ , Now!"

Adam goes into his pilot chair to seek the coordinates of the Battlecruiser letting out a long sigh as he finally began to calm down, deciding to let the autopilot fly them out of the combat zone, as he fell back overcome by a sudden wave of exhaustion. _There isn't much anyone can say that will ease my mind right now, this is insane!_ he thought before everything around him faded into darkness, the mental stress of the sudden mission to rescue Kerrigan and the second Evac finally taking it's hold as he fell into unconsciousness.

 **Author's Note: And here it is my new attempt to Starcraft fanfiction, i always wanted to do this idea, and i am finally getting to do, and let me tell you this is not a oneshot, this start in the End of the Starcraft Episode 1 and will go probably until Legacy of the Void, so i hope you enjoy and please constructive reviews and opinions**

 **Thanks**

 **Andrigno**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft or any of their related products, characters or plots, they are all own by Blizzard Activision**

 **Enjoy and as always R &R**

 **Chapter 2: A New Age Gone Bad**

 **-Battlecruiser** _ **Thunder Child**_ **,Tarsonis Orbit -**

When Greyson awoke, he was surprised to find that the dropship had reached the cruiser in one piece given the scene that they'd left behind. Slowly he stood up, making his way out of the cockpit towards the exit, where Kelerchian and the others were waiting.

"What happens now?" He asked eying his crew with a worried expression on his face, combined with a tone which indicated he was more than frustrated. Raynor seemed to notice as he approached the young pilot.

"You need to go calm down for a start, I know you're upset about what happened, we all are, focus on the job at hand, to regroup and think what we do now."

 _Ain't that the truth._ Greyson thought as he looked over to Kerrigan, who despite her pain gave him a weary smile.

"I owe you one. Focus on helping the others for now, we need to plan our next move." She said heaving herself up, despite Raynor's protests.

They walked onto the cruiser's bridge from the docking port, and while Kerrigan was taken to sickbay, Greyson took the chance to get his bearings, accompanied by the young girl who had been with Kelerchian when he'd rescued her.

"Apologies for the way we had to meet, I'm Adam Greyson." He said turning to her, trying his best to cheer up.

"Maybe once you get out of your combat suit I'll consider telling you more, call me Nova."

The attempt at humor made Greyson smile as he stomped down the hall towards the crew quarters, waving to her once. "Fine, I look forward to it, Nova."

Once he reached an empty dormitory, he stripped off the Lightweight CMC suit and checked himself for injuries. To his relief he only suffered a few bruises, but he knew deep down that he'd been damn lucky to survive that encounter. Any more daring missions like that risked getting him, or anyone he flew with killed. He requisitioned a spare set of gear from the locker next to the bed and headed towards the cantina. Stepping through the hatch he was met instantly by the smell of alcohol and cheap food, companied by a rather broken sounding jukebox which belted out songs from at least several centuries ago. _Danger Zone? That's just going to make me remember the hell I went through back there._

He moved over to it, switching the song choice to something less irritating as he moved to the bar.

"No alcohol for you, Adam. Dropships don't come equipped with _Flying under the influence_ protocols." Nova chimed in as she sat opposite him, earning an eyeroll from Greyson which prompted her to smirk.

"Don't give me the silent treatment either, I know what you are thinking, I think." She said making him realise what Raynor had meant earlier when he had mentioned Kerrigan having a feeling.

 _Nova is a telepath? Figures ,the Captain was right, only Telepaths understand telepaths_

"Kerrigan didn't mention anything to you while I was asleep did she?"

Greyson asked, feeling like he was under a microscope for the second time , this time by a younger, blonde version of Kerrigan.

"Nope" Nova answered while she turned around to go get her own rations of food in the cantina

 _Gah, I am starting to believe what the Captain said about Telepaths_

" _At least ,she is friendly , but i am sensing a profound sadness behind that cheery face"_

"Come on slowpoke, you know you can't leave a lady behind when she invites you to eat ,right?"

Greyson shrugged and moved to join her, ordering his own portion, simply grateful for her offer.

"Thank you, Nova It's just the fact we've been through a lot in the last couple of hours that's bugging me, I hate this Post Trauma Stress bullshit, it's just something that messes you up for the hell of it."

He said as she eyed him curiously, obviously trying to figure out what made him tick.

"Instead of being so negative, perhaps you could tell me more about yourself, besides what I figured out in less than a minute?" Nova's tone was laced with amusement, as he attempted to redeem himself.

"Well, I'm eighteen, from Moria, I've always wanted to fly and try to make a difference which actually matters, which is why I signed up with the Sons of Korhal when they arrived to do recruitment with the Combine. Been training with James Raynor's unit ever since, I just got my first hands on taste of a real mission when we flew in to rescue Kerrigan plus you and Kelerchian. I cant say that it was official but in my mind, it was the right thing to do. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself had anything really bad happened."

Nova's expression changed from slyness to one of understanding, as she took in what he had done.

"You took a risk to save your friends, and it payed off. I admire the fact you made it this far, not many can claim that disobeying orders leads you to a better place, but you've proven me wrong Adam. Maybe there is more to you than just being a typical guy who just wants to make a difference."

 _Was that a complement? Greyson deliberately thought to make Nova smile as he finally relaxed. "One more thing. I'm single and drowning in hormones."_

"Ugh...there is no need to try to apparent that you are a normal common guy ,Adam" Nova said, apparently having heard that last thought.

Adam blushed once more and tried to focus on his food and not on how pretty Nova's laugh was.

- **Battlecruiser** _ **Thunder Child**_ **\- Outside Tarsonis's Orbit**

James Raynor sat at Kerrigan's bedside in the sickbay as he tried to come to terms with what had happened. Mengsk had shown his true colors when he pulled out leaving her to her fate, but quick thinking and a bold strategy had prevented a tragedy.

"Why?" The unexpected question from Sarah brought him out of his reflection, as he realised she was now awake. Turning to face her, he was dumbfounded.

"Sarah. We've known each other a short time. I shouldn't have to explain my reasons for wanting to help you. Leaving you to the Zerg would go against everything I believe in. You'd do the same for me.

What Mengsk did back there by turning his back on us just proves he doesn't give a damn about those under his command."

Kerrigan felt herself agreeing with Raynor on that point, though part of her had remembered everything Mengsk had done to help her. _He saved my life, and my soul_ those words echoed through her head, but the Ghost promptly discarded them as something took their place.

"I trusted him once, Jim. Now, I don't know what to think, I can't help but wonder if I was supposed to die down there. Everything that just happened, in a lot of ways seems wrong."

She sat up, taking a moment to collect herself.

Raynor wanted to argue, but he knew that she wouldn't back down.

"Listen,I know you always say "You can't resist being my "Shining Knight in Armour", but have you ever considered asking yourself why I do that?" He asked thinking of all the times they'd spent together previously in missions or in the breaks.

"You love me." Came Kerrigan's reply before he had a chance to say it, being a telepath she could effectively read him like an open book. It wasn't an attempt to make him feel bad, but she knew that the bigger picture was more important.

"I've lost loved ones before." He reminded her, bringing back a haunting memory of reading a letter that was mostly bureaucratic from the Confederacy in his home on Mar Sara detailing in nice and formal details how his son died in a dropship accident, which later in the Sons of Korhal find out that the fact ,he was killed because his PSI Index wasn't enough to survive the initiation.

Kerrigan stood up and moved to wrap herself around him as if the embrace would help ease the pain she knew she felt within him. It was then that he realised that she too was suffering from the emotional stress of the last few hours.

"We can figure out what to do regarding Mengsk once we're able to think straight, acting now would simply be rash and fueled by emotional desire, It's like I reminded Adam earlier. Focus on the mission at hand and it's outcome. If we screw up because we're too busy figuring out our reasons for making choices, we'll get nowhere." She said in a clear and concise tone

"Heh, look who is being the mature and thoughtful here in this moment , would you want to lead the Rangers in my stead, my lady?" Raynor teased her as he made a joke to ease the tension.

"Just one problem with that idea. Those combat suits you wear, would make me lose all these curves that you love."Kerrigan quipped, turning the joke on its head before Raynor said

"True, very true, better keep leadership ,if I want to keep that view"

Both chuckled at the same time letting the atmosphere in the room lighten before Raynor ruined it again by stating

"But seriously I want you to be my second in command in the Rangers, there is currently no one else that is trust more to be my right hand"

"Well, cowboy, that comment just earned you some points" Kerrigan said before she leaned into him and kissed him.

 **-Tarsonis City, Tarsonis-**

The chittering of the remaining Zerglings around the battle zone filled the air as the lone Hydralisk made it's way back into the main hive, angrily burrowing into the deeper levels as it returned to lick it's wounds amongst it's own kind.

The Cerebrate which was at the centre of the hive was surrounded by the ever strengthening numbers of its brood as it worked to gather resources, while keeping the Overmind's directive as it's primary focus. _Creating a duplicate of Sarah Kerrigan. Ensuring the safety of what remained would also mean weeding out the remaining forces of Protoss Executor Tassadar, and at that moment a single thought from the Overmind ensured what would be occurring._

" _I am well pleased young Cerebrate, and so long as you remain focused on developing a new being, a combination of our enemies strengths and that of our own I shall remain pleased. Thus, its life and yours shall be made as one. As it prospers, so shall you."_

Securing the blood sample recovered from the Hydralisk into a biocapsule, the Zerg acted as a unit, aiming to achieve their leaders directive. Once the new being was formed it's fate would be decided by a single thought the Overmind was passing to Abathur.

 _Look at the blood, I see only potential. Strands, sequences, twisting, separating, joining., primitive, I See how it could be better. This new form must help the swarm evolve, she is to be Swarm, collected perfection. Sarah Kerrigan will be reborn into our finest evolution of recent times._

Collecting this information as he received it directly from his master, Abathur set to work overseeing the creation of the new superior form, focusing solely on his singular purpose of existence. Making the Overmind proud of his work on what was to become a Symbol of the Swarm, a single agent, independent, precise, better than a Cerebrate unit.

The Overmind overlooks the beginning of his plan for the future, his plan for a worthy successor and agent of liberation, and with its most inner thoughts release a mental sigh of something similiar to relief.

 **-Battlecruiser Thunder Child, In Warpspace-**

After he left the Cantina Adam Greyson made his way to his dormitory, simply wanting to rest. He felt completely drained. A hot shower and a change of clothes made him feel at ease for the first time in the best part of an entire day as he climbed into his bunk.

 _I must be crazy_. He thought as he tried to slow his spinning mind. At least he had a dorm to himself for some privacy. Then the inevitable feeling of being lonely started to gnaw at his mind.

 _On one hand you need some time to relax, on the other you don't want to be alone?_ his inner voice was proving to be correct at that point in time. For years, Adam had been happily living a single life, focusing on his studies and his passion for flying. It hadn't occurred to him that the one thing he never really took much of an interest in a couple of years ago was now becoming something of importance to him.

The door to the room opened and he heard someone nearing. Raynor? .The last thing I need right now is more work to do. He thought, sighing in frustration, only to hear a voice which made his heart almost leap from its ribcage.

"Relax, it could be worse." Sarah Kerrigan joked as she came into view, obviously wanting to talk about something. Feeling the unease of her friend, she offered a reassuring smile.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Adam asked, addressing her formally, wondering what she could need at such a late hour. "I noticed you haven't got a roommate. That's about to change, i want you to do me a favour."

Curious as to where this was heading, Adam nodded in agreement.

"All this chat about you not understanding telepathy has got me thinking, why not pair up with Nova? You could learn a lot from her. She seems to like you which is also a good sign."

Adam blushed at that thought.

"The last thing I need to be worrying about is having a girlfriend, I need to focus on my duty, it's the only thing I know I'm cut out for, Sarah." He mused to which she shook her head, knowing he was simply too embarrassed by the subject.

"If you weren't interested in this, I wouldn't be here to talk to you. Your admiration for me motivated you to do what needed to be done, plus your first time out was impressive, I know you look up to me Adam. It's blindingly obvious that you care, if I were a several years younger, things might've been different for us." She said still watching his every move, keeping her tone professional and focused.

 _There is no getting away from the fact that Kerrigan is right._ His inner voice chimed in.

The lieutenant's smile grew as he failed to hide from the truth which was written all over his face.

"Nova would be nice to have around, I guess, but what've you got to do with it?" He wondered clearly wanting to know more.

"I'm glad you asked, you see ,she's a telepath like me, and besides the whole being able to read thoughts thing, there are skills which make us unique, traits which I could help Nova improve on. In short, you'd be getting together with a Ghost candidate trained by someone you admire, and there's another thing. She had a tough time recently. We should work as a team on this " Kerrigan offered.

"Is this what you meant by having feelings about Nova and owing me one?" Knowing she was bringing him around .Kerrigan nodded.

"Get used to it, she moves in at 2300, and maybe you can add this to your new dorm wall." She quipped pulling out a picture she'd taken mere minutes ago of her and Nova by the drop ship, indicating that he was no longer the social outcast with a crush, but one of the team who'd earned his place among them.

" Tomorrow you two will work together while we pursue some leads, good luck in more ways than one!" Kerrigan said her voice tone returning to the superior that she was, while looking back at Adam with a professional, yet admirational gaze.

"Aye Lieutenant, maybe you're right. I want to understand telepaths more, and trained by the best is the way to go, I just hope Nova understands me." Adam said to which Kerrigan laughed.

"She does and trust me, she liked the idea of eventually knowing all the secrets you can no longer hide." And with that, she was gone.

When Nova did arrive she felt a calming, soothing presence around Adam as she moved to him. He was snoring lightly and she shook him awake.

Adam bolted upright at the sudden disturbance, but the smile on Nova's face made him hold his tongue. she was happy to be with him, but deep down he knew she was hurting, due to the recent events. He could see her inner trauma, and wasn't about to let her suffer.

His cold awkward outer persona which normally helped him focus on his work slowly faded as he simply reached out, offering her a hug. Nova was taken aback by the sudden gesture, but slowly she wrapped herself around him as they held an embrace, having almost forgotten what it felt like to be wanted and not simply used.

"Thanks Adam." She said, continuing to hold the embrace as he knew deep down that while she was strong, she needed the comfort and he needed companionship.

 _Maybe things are changing for the better._ He thought as she pulled back.

"You're right, this is nice. We need each other, but we also have to sleep." She said. pulling away from him to climb into the top bunk, as the clock on the wall hit one in the morning.

Adam began to drift off several minutes later alongside Nova who for the first time in weeks felt happier.

 _Thump!_ The hard sound of his skull hitting the underside of the above bunk woke Greyson from his slumber with a muffled curse. _You've had this problem with bunks since you were young, If you want to make a good impression, that's going to need to change._

"Ngggh" He growled, shoving the thought away before Nova could catch on, luckily she seemed to be elsewhere until her voice made him gaze around at her from behind him.

"You head is so hard that it has awoken me above, I hope you are happy?" Nova said in a mock-growl kind of voice,

Shrugging in a defensive manner, Adam threw the covers off himself. "Sorry Nova, won't happen again. See you in a minute." He replied, simply focusing on his upcoming shift.

"That boy , can't take a joke in the morning" Nova sighed while she noticed him bolting in embarrassment out their quarters

 _Yeesh._ Adam thought, slowing his pace as he entered the cantina. Much to his relief nobody was around to observe what he did next hoping to smooth things over.

 _I hope Nova appreciates the gesture._ He thought as he carried a tray full of food back towards their quarters, entering just enough to place it on the bedside table.

Only then did he think about his own needs, ordering his meal and a tall coffee cup, hoping that the caffeine would prove to be some kind of cure for his idiocy. Sitting calmly as he minded his own business, until a voice said from behind him.

"Kid, where's your partner?" Raynor asked as he entered the cantina, moving to sit beside him.

"Long story short, she's joking around thanks to my improvised alarm clock, I bumped her awake earlier, left her some food to apologize, I just want to focus on my shift, Captain." Greyson said flatly, as Raynor sighed.

"I see, well you can explain that to Sarah as a reason for being late, you two were due to go on assignment an hour ago." He reminded in a scolding, yet not harsh tone.

 _What? This day keeps getting better._ Adam thought with a groan, knowing they'd both be in trouble. Returning to his quarters, he found Nova had changed into her gym gear. That could only mean one thing.

"Physical training?" He asked as he ducked into the bathroom grabbing his own clothes.

 _Wait. that also means that Kerrigan will be working out with us, wonderful._ His inner voice reminded, as Nova smirked at him.

Looking at his standard outfit for such an occasion made Greyson want to inwardly cringe. The simple blue tank top, sweatpants, trainers and running shoes would've been appropriate if he was working by himself, but ever since Nova had been assigned to him as a partner, he knew that things wouldn't be the same again.

Pausing to look at himself in the mirror, Greyson let out a long slow breath as he moved to pull the tank top over his head, what he hadn't noticed however was Nova behind him studying his every move. This combined with the low orange light in the room only added to the growing tension he could feel around him. Spinning on his heel to face her, he moved to exit the cubicle only for her to pat his shoulder while flashing a mischievous grin in his direction.

His gaze met hers as she reached out trailing a finger up his chest before her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she held him at arm's length, almost like she was admiring his physique, but then the sharp prodding of her finger into his spine made him squirm much to her amusement.

The chuckle that escaped her told him she was getting a kick out of this, It was probably retribution for what he'd done earlier. "We should hurry" He said trying to remain focused on the task at hand.

He couldn't help but find himself drawn to how pretty Nova looked in her assigned gear of black tank top and tight shorts that clinged to her lower half, however it shows the clear lack of good health that she had at the previous months on the streets. She blinked at him while moving closer giving him a better view of her figure.

"Yes ,we should, but you are blocking the entrance with your gawking, Adam" Nova said smirking mischievously. Adam decided the only way out was to escape the situation would be following her in every command as he decides to leave the locker room to the Cargo room assigned to Gym , getting an odd sense of forewarning that this situation will repeat itself in the future ,a lot.

The door to the cargo hold swung open as he entered, noticing that a lot of the usual features of the hold had changed over the last while. It'd gone from a dull and frankly boring storage area which was in need of serious redecorating to something resembling a scene often found in an improvised gym hall, the walls had been decorated in a simple yet warm colour of yellow while the large viewport offered a spectacular view of the stars outside At the opposite end of the room was an advanced monitoring station hooked up to several exercise machines to facilitate the needs of the crew as they trained on a daily basis. Greyson's guess was that it had been installed to allow any Ghosts on the ship to go about their vigorous routines with ease.

In the centre of the room on a large inflatable mat sat Sarah Kerrigan as she stretched herself out in some kind of exercise meant to warm up the body before heavy physical activity before Adam cursed in his mind at seeing the Lieutenant attired in the same way as Nova, the same top and tight shorts for workout but her in white and more clinging due her toned ,slightly muscular frame than in her blonde apprentice.

Trying his best to focus, Adam began to do pushups while listening to his rapidly pounding heartbeat, letting Nova and Sarah work in their own routines shutting out any possible distractions they might provide.

The count reached ten before he felt his muscles start to sting from the exertion, hopping up he switched to running, finally feeling his head begin to clear for the first time in hours, he felt himself easing into his standard routine, sparing a glance behind him, he'd noticed that the girls were huddled having a chat, probably about how Nova would need to to have an appropriate diet to fix the issues of her health that came in her medical checkup, or so he is barely hearing while making his laps

Kerrigan looked up at him to keep a track of his progress as he darted past her for the fifteenth time, stepping out to stop him in his stride. by throwing a towel in his direction, "I can feel the heat off you from here, take a break" She noted as he spun around to face her, letting out a long slow breath as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Fine" He replied blankly simply wanting to continue. Kerrigan led him over to the nearby chair and forced him into it, implying how serious she was.

Adam let her win this time, considering it was easier than complain, as it would sound whiny and unprofessional .

Adam rest on the chair while he begins to look at the girls starting their own workout and thinking if this was going to be his life from now on

" _Well, it can always be worse, at least the view is nice"_

"I heard that!"

"Damn it!"


End file.
